[because it tastes good]

Category Archives: sausage

I am digging this recipe out of the archives because it’s one of my favorites and I make it all the time as soon as the weather dips a little. It’s super simple, hearty, and when served with some crusty garlic bread, makes a perfect meal.

This is fall cooking. This is what I’m talkin’ about. Roasted acorn squash (use any seasonal squash/pumpkin you like), buttery yukon gold potatoes, sausage, tomatoes, and squeaky and salty halloumi cheese. Homey and comforting and the best thing I’ve had this fall. And not just because ‘fall’ just officially began today, either.

We had Brian’s 13-year old son, Rob, as a last minute dinner guest tonight so our original plans to go out got scratched and I was left looking for a dinner idea that was Saturday-night worthy (easy, comforting, a little naughty) but also somewhat nutritious. When the kids spend the weekends with us I really try to make an effort to make sure they have good, home-cooked food with actual vegetables involved. It just so happens that Rob is a huge, huge, huge, broccoli fan, which tends to make my job pretty easy. I had just pinned this recipe this week so it was still pretty fresh in my head. I love that it includes “grown-up” ingredients such as hot italian sausage and anchovies (if you think you don’t like anchovies, please keep reading…if a 13-year old boy goes back for seconds, all hope is not lost), but also reads as super kid-friendly. Pasta. Broccoli (sub any veggie you/your kid likes). Sausage. Lemony and garlicky sauce. Did I tell anyone there were anchovies in it? Nope. Did everyone gobble it? Yup. Boom.

It happens every year without fail: the summer cold. I know I’m not alone in this as a bunch of people in my office are also sick (I blame you), but is there anything worse? Waking up this morning feeling like crap, I knew I would want something comforting but easy for dinner. Brian grilled up some hot italian sausages (I par-boiled them first to make sure they were fully cooked without getting too charred on the grill), while I stayed in and whipped up super-quick sauteed garlicky broccoli rabe and 3 minute instant polenta. I threw in some defrosted roasted corn (love this product from Trader Joe’s) to add some texture to the polenta. Now, excuse me while I bury my face in a box of kleenex and sip on a digestivo of NyQuil.

I would like to start this whole shebang by saying this type of dish is my favorite kind. One, it’s loosely inspired by a recipe, but really much more based on ingredients you already have in the fridge that you didn’t have a plan for. Two, it comes together in about 20 minutes. Three, it’s freaking delicious. And finally, it’s healthy! Made with flavorful andouille chicken sausage (Trader Joe’s), a bunch of chopped kale, and some other pantry staples, this is a weeknight winner.

Have you ever seen Put a Bird on It? The cast from Portlandia put birds on things. Once you watch this, you will definitely notice how many things have birds on them for absolutely no reason. I have fallen prey (haha, get it?) myself in buying things with random birds on them.

Anyway, I feel like I could do my own skit called “Put an Egg on It”. Eggs are probably my favorite food (at least in the top 5), and I feel like many, many dishes can be easily elevated by putting an egg on it. I put an egg on this summer veggie skillet (SO GOOD), and it was perfection. This skillet dish is also perfect for summer as it doesn’t require you to turn the oven on, which I certainly appreciate. I used some tomato and cheese chicken sausages I had from Costco, but you can use any pre-cooked chicken sausage. Delicious!

I almost titled this dish “OMG Corn Chowder with Shrimp and Chorizo”, because it’s SO. DAMN. GOOD. I took the leftovers to work today and I was literally splashing it around my desk because I was eating so enthusiastically. That’s normal, right?

*Content and photos updated July 2012.*
This was one of those clean out the refrigerator types of meals. Make this when you’re too lazy, poor, or uninspired to order takeout — We both agree that it was WAY better than what we expected, and way better than take-out, too. Next time I may try with a mixture of eggs and egg whites to make it a smidge healthier. Literally add whatever’s in the fridge and go to town.

I love it when meals like this totally materialize out of what’s in the fridge/pantry. This hash was absolutely delicious, minimal effort, and no special shopping trip needed. I always keep sweet potatoes around for their good looks and even better nutrition. I frequently buy the smoked andouille chicken sausage from trader joe’s (excellent in dishes like this), but often have at least one or two links leftover to use up. These two humble ingredients, combined with the cumin and cinnamon, are to.die.for.

I’m a big fan of a veggie (and usually sausage) filled soup — especially for a weekend lunch. Make a big batch on Saturday or Sunday and then have the leftovers in the fridge when you need a little snack or an impromptu lunch to bring to work. This soup is creamy and oh-so-healthy.Continue reading →

Update: I made this again because it was so yummy and I wilted in a couple of big handfuls of baby spinach. Even tastier!
Now this is one we will be eating probably once a week from here on out. It’s so easy, made with ingredients we almost always have on hand, and is totally delicious. We used a spinach, fontina, and roasted garlic chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s (so good), but any ol’ pre-cooked sausage would probably be great too. Next time I might mix in some baby spinach at the end for extra veg factor.

Even though I am half Polish, I didn’t grow up eating a lot of Polish food. I don’t think I had a pierogi until a few years ago even. Why I have had a kielbasa and pierogi craving for the last couple of weeks is beyond me, but I’m glad I did because this recipe is delicious!

This soup is so delicious. The broth has a wonderful rich flavor, but overall the dish is very light and easy– using cooked chicken sausage and lots of veggies. I will definitely making this soup over and over again.

Gimme Lean vegetarian sausage is one of my favorite swaps for real sausage. It is low-cal, fat, sugar, and cholesterol free, and has a great sausagey flavor and texture. I’ve used it in sweeter/breakfast applications and in pasta dishes with great success. These sausage balls are doughy and cheesy and are a fantastic appetizer (or breakfast with some maple syrup!). Enjoy!

It’s clean out the cupboard time, folks. After almost 7 years in the same apartment, we’re getting set to move in just about 4 weeks. It is in times like these that my food obsession/hoarding really comes to light, and not in a cute way. More like a how-the-hell-am-i-going-to-pack-all-of-this-stuff way. For example, I’ve had an unopened tube of harissa in my pantry for, oh, about 4 years, just waiting for that delicious tagine or some other Moroccan feast worthy of breaking it out for. I tend to pick up random food stuffs for “special” meals or dishes, all the while semi-afraid to use them because then they’ll be gone! The horror, really, the stuff is 2 bucks on amazon… What this leaves me with, of course, is an overstuffed pantry full of too-specific items that will, in fact, never get used. I also had a package of puff pastry in the freezer “just in case”. And obviously tons of italian sausages — I mean, everyone buys 8 pounds at a time at Costco, right?

Anyway, a simple google search for “what the hell do i do with these random ingredients” and I was on my way to one of the yummiest appetizers ever.

I am a pizza grilling covert. My biggest complaint about homemade pizza is that crust never seems to get crispy enough for my liking. Grilling is the answer! I used an indoor grill/grill pan, but an outdoor grill would be perfect too.

This pizza was overwhelmingly awesome. Fig season is finally here and they are so perfect with salty meats and stinky cheeses. YUM.

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. I’d like to say because it’s super kid friendly, but really I just love biscuits in any form. (Remember these?) Add eggs and veggie sausage and I’m sold. In terms of the pre-made tubes of biscuits — I like the Trader Joe’s for their respectable ingredient list (all real food).

This casserole is a little like a savory french toast, and it smells heavenly while baking. Enough to wake two sleeping teenagers from their Sunday morning coma, which says a lot.

After realizing that I have 238 recipes saved (from blogs alone!) that I want to make, I decided it was time to start chipping away at the list. This endeavor started with breakfast this morning. These were super easy, pretty darn healthy (using egg beaters), and overall a great go-to breakfast. I look forward to grabbing a couple of these little guys on my way out the door to go to work this week.

A few nice people around these parts have commented on how my photos have improved and are looking spiffy these days. Well, to you lovely people, sorry about this one. Tonight, I simply did not care about lighting, garnishes, food composition, or textiles. In fact, the fact that my little DIY “photo studio” is housed WAY up on the second floor of our apartment was a major deterrent tonight to snapping a good photo, after a week (or two) like I’ve had. My job is sucking the life out of me at the moment, and each evening, I arrive home weary and generally pretty surly. Luckily, I live with a fine man who makes a stiff drink and is always there to pat my head and make me smile.

Brian’s been asking me to make bangers and mash foreverrrr. Why in god’s name did I wait so long?? It’s SAUSAGE and MASHED POTATOES. How bad can that be? Overall, this is one of the best mashed potatoes recipes I’ve ever made, and the sausages couldn’t be easier or yummier. Make this!